Cookie monster?
by idiosyncraticbug
Summary: Her cookies are vanishing without a trace, leaving her in bewilderment. Do ghosts and spirits eat cookies? Or a cookie monster maybe? She has no idea. Oneshot. Slight NaruMai.


Disclaimer: I do not Ghost Hunt.

_Italics denote thoughts._

**Bold denote written words e.g. messages, letters, etc.

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oOo

Mai hummed merrily to herself as she made her way up to the SPR office. Although it was a Monday, she did not feel down or whatever is it that always seems to get her on Mondays. In fact, she was feeling downright happy although she had no idea why. It must have been because of the previous night. Also the contents of the jar in the paper bag she was holding helped too.

It was raining heavily the whole of yesterday, so she had to cancel her plans of going shopping with her friends. Cooped up in her little apartment, she was so bored that she did not even feel like smiling and had gone about feeling a little grouchy. Thank goodness she doesn't feel that way often or else she would have a permanent frown etched on her face. Mai shuddered to think of it.

Poking around her little house for something to alleviate her boredom, she entered the kitchen with the intention of fixing herself a light snack. Who knew that a bored person could get hungry so quickly? She intended to just make a sandwich or something but before she knew it, it had already turned into a full-blown cookie producing session.

That is how she ended up with slightly more than 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies by the time she was finished. The best thing was, in the process of baking the cookies; her mood had taken a turn for the better.

So armed with a little jar of her 'feel-good cookies' as she called them, she had made her way to the office feeling as if nothing in the world can bring her down now. Yes, not even her narcissistic boss can do anything to put her off her happy mood today.

Pushing the door open, she called out a cheery "Good Morning!" loud enough to be heard through the closed doors of both Naru and Lin's office.

Her employer's only answer was a demand for his morning cup of tea. Lin, on the other hand, had the decency to poke his head out of his office and wish her a good morning before disappearing inside again all the while wondering to himself what had the young girl in such a good mood.

After bringing Naru his tea, she then settled down to get the filing done but not before helping herself to a cookie from the jar on her desk. It was basically the only thing she does besides making tea for Naru when they do not have a case to work on. Filing, that is, not eating cookies.

By the time Mai was done with her filing, the clock on the opposite wall was already showing 5p.m. Stretching herself, she yawned. It had been a long and boring day, again. Only her bunch of cookies kept her going. Noting that she still had about half of them remaining in the jar, she decided to keep them for tomorrow. Something told her that she would absolutely need them.

Picking up her bag, she went to Naru's office and poked her head through the open door.

"Naru, I'm leaving now. Goodbye."

"Hm," he said, never once lifting his eyes from the book in his hands.

Mai huffed to herself as she left the office. _Rude narcissist! Someone ought to teach him some manners!_

oOo

Early the next morning saw a happy looking teenage girl skipping into the SPR office. However, not long after she went through the door, a loud exclamation was heard.

"EH?!?!"

"Is something wrong Taniyama-san?" asked Lin concernedly, walking towards her. He happened to be in the kitchenette making some tea when he heard her voice.

"Lin-san, my cookies are gone!" she wailed.

"Cookies?"

He was confused. Cookies are probably the last thing on his list of things that can go missing in the SPR office.

"See, the jar is empty!" she said, thrusting the empty jar at him as proof. True enough, the jar held nothing but air.

Mai went on about how she kept the cookies for today and she needed them to get through the day but Lin had tuned her out. The girl sounded too much like a broken record. He couldn't understand what was so important about a bunch of cookies that you can get at any convenience store around the corner.

"Why don't you just buy some more?" he suggested.

"They can't be bought, Lin-san. I made them myself."

A hint of pride was evident in her voice as Lin looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Her fuss about the missing cookies made a bit more sense to him now.

Suddenly she turned to him, her voice low and dangerous, "You didn't happen to eat them all did you, Lin-san?"

The older man was taken aback for a moment although he did not show it. Never before had he seen the young assistant with such a murderous look in her eyes. Personally, he didn't want to see it ever again. God help whoever it was that ate her cookies.

Shaking his head, he replied, "No, I did not eat any except those that you offered to me yesterday, Taniyama-san."

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking at him intently like a hawk watching its prey.

"Of course."

The murderous look disappeared from her face only to be replaced by thoughtfulness. By the look on her face, Lin could tell that she was pondering the cookie thief's real identity.

"Ne, Lin-san, did anyone else come to the office after I left?"

"No. But someone could have after I left."

Mai bit her lower lip. It was possible that someone came after Lin had left and had eaten all her cookies. After all, who could resist such delectable looking chocolate chip cookies?

Mentally, she gave herself a good hard kick. She should have kept them in the kitchenette and not on her desk where everyone who enters the office could see. Going to the nearest wall, she banged her head on it while muttering to herself about how stupid she is. Lin gave her a weird look before retreating a little hurriedly into his office.

"Are you not stupid enough, Mai?"

She whirled around to find her boss looking at her with something akin to amusement in his deep blue eyes. Glaring at him she was prepared to rebuke him when it suddenly occurred to her that Naru may have an idea as to who ate her cookies.

"Naru, did anyone come to the office after Lin-san left?"

He blinked. That wasn't the response he was expecting. Did the girl bang her head too hard this time around?

"No."

His assistant looked so dejected at his answer that he was almost tempted to ask her what's wrong. Almost.

Instead he said, "Mai, tea," before entering his office.

Mai groaned all the way to the kitchenette, lamenting her lost cookies and cursing whoever ate them without her permission to a slow, painful death.

However, by the time lunch rolled around, she had already cheered up considerably. The missing cookies were a thing of the past now. Glancing at the clock, she willed it to move faster so that she could dash back home. She had something better than filing paperwork to do!

oOo

It was raining the next day but Mai had on a cheerful smile for the two men in the office. Her reason, she had another jarful of cookies with her. Although they weren't chocolate chip like the last time, they were still one of her favorites – butter cookies. Her mouth watered just thinking of them.

Today was far worse than yesterday. There wasn't much filing to be done so she had finished them well before noon. All that was left for her to do was stare at the clock and make tea for Naru. Oh, and munch on her butter cookies as well.

A million cups of tea and half a jar of cookies later, the clock finally struck 5pm signaling the time for her to begin the return journey home. She was only too glad to leave the place before she dies of boredom there and starts haunting the office. However, before she left, she made sure to place her cookies in the kitchen cabinet instead of on her desk like the day before.

Mai smiled to herself as she exited the office. Her cookies are safe from the prying eyes and hands of the cookie thief now!

oOo

The teenage assistant working in the SPR office could hardly believe her eyes. Her beloved cookies had disappeared again! Out of the twenty or so cookies that she had left, none remained. She thought that she could keep it safe by putting it behind the closed doors of the cabinet. Boy, how wrong she was.

Running to Lin's room, she barged in without even knocking, startling the Chinese man.

"Lin-san, someone ate my cookies again!"

Automatically, he responded, "It wasn't me."

She looked at him as if not quite believing him, but kept her mouth shut.

"And before you ask, no one came by after you left, Taniyama-san," he said evenly.

"Then who, Lin-san?" she whined, greatly resembling a child who just had her favorite toy stolen.

Lin shrugged his shoulders.

"Rats, perhaps?" he offered.

Mai sent an are-you-kidding-me look his way.

"I don't think rats can open an air-tight container with a screw on lid, Lin-san."

The older man looked thoughtful for a minute before saying, "I do not know who is responsible, Taniyama-san. I'm sorry. Maybe Naru might know something. He's always the last to leave the office."

The young girl brightened up instantly. The cookie thief is not getting away!

A few minutes later, a depressed looking Mai exited her employer's room. She was still clueless as to the cookie thief's identity as Naru wasn't much of a help. Sighing, she could only hope that her next batch of cookies would not end up disappearing like the previous ones. Her cookies were good, Lin had said as much, but that did not mean someone could just finish all of them up without asking her first. Someone must teach the cookie thief what asking for permission means!

oOo

Two days later, Mai was fuming in Lin's office, pacing to and fro in front of the man and giving him a headache in the process.

"One whole jar, gone! I can't believe it! How can anyone eat that many cookies in one go?"

Silently, Lin wondered to himself. What the girl had just said was true in a way. There was no way anyone can eat more than 2 dozen almond cookies at any one time. The cookies may be bite-sized but still, eating at least 30 of them in one sitting really is hard to believe.

Suddenly, he was aware that Mai had stopped raving about her missing cookies. The girl was currently looking at him with a queer look in her eyes and tapping her chin with her index finger.

"Lin-san, did it ever occur to you that this office could be haunted?" she asked.

"Are you implying that a spirit stole your cookies?"

He laughed a little at the idea, earning himself a glare from the brown haired girl.

"It's not funny, Lin-san. I mean, come on, the cookies are in an air-tight jar with a screw-on lid. They keep disappearing at night yet we know that no one here ate them. You tell me what to think," she huffed, glaring once again at Lin.

"I do know for a fact that spirits do not eat, Taniyama-san."

"A hungry ghost, maybe?"

Lin forced down the chuckle that rose in him. He didn't know what the girl would do if he laughed at her ideas again and personally, he didn't want to know.

"Ghosts and spirits do not need to eat as humans do, Taniyama-san," he informed her.

"But –"

He cut her off.

"I'm sure it wasn't a ghost that ate your cookies."

Mai began pacing in his office once again. The headache that had gone for a moment now returned with a vengeance. For the sake of his sanity or what was left of it, he needed to get the girl out of his office, and fast. So he said the first thing that came into his mind.

"I'll help you catch the thief, Taniyama-san."

She looked at him, a bright smile plastered on her face.

"You will? Oh thank you so much, Lin-san!"

Mai would have thrown her arms around the Chinese man were it not for the desk that separated them. The young girl was that happy. Then as if suddenly noting that she had interrupted Lin when he was working, she quickly apologized and bounced out to do whatever it was that Naru asked her to do.

But not a minute later, she poked her head back in.

"It's not a monster is it, Lin-san?" she asked in a low whisper.

oOo

He let out a sigh. Lin could hardly believe that he was actually doing it. Setting up cameras to catch a spirit in action was one thing but setting up a camera to catch a cookie thief in action? It was absurd, simply absurd. In all his 25 years, never has he done anything as ridiculous as this. However, for the sake of his peace of mind and also because he promised the girl, he went through with it. He did not need a near hysterical female around him going on and on about her missing cookies.

Due to the fact that the kitchen was too small to contain one of their usual cameras, Lin had opted to use a small spy camera instead. Stepping up onto the chair, he placed a small black object just beside the tube light on the ceiling. It was perfect. There is no way anyone can enter the little kitchen undetected now. That is, unless it was something that is not of this world.

In one fluid motion, he stepped down. Looking up at the ceiling, he was glad to note that the tiny camera's position is rather well-hidden. Only those who know where to look will be able to find it. Mentally, he gave himself a pat on the back for a job well done. Now all that is left to do is wait for the cookie thief to reveal himself.

oOo

As was his norm, Lin entered the office early. Usually it was out of habit but today, it was different. Today is the day the cookie thief's identity is made known. Although he didn't care much for the missing cookies, the Chinese man was curious as to who could eat that many cookies at once. Whoever it is must be a monster indeed.

Sitting in front of his laptop, he watched the recording carefully. One hour turned into two and gradually morphed into three. Still, there was no sign of the intruder. However, Lin was a patient man so he waited. Something told him that the cookie thief would show up anytime now.

True enough, a silhouette appeared at the little kitchen's doorway. The figure entered the dark kitchen, heading directly towards the cabinet and opened it before reaching a pale hand inside. When it removed its hand, it was holding the cookie jar full of Mai's homemade cookies. Lin's eyes widened.

Turning around so that it was facing the camera, the figure leaned against the countertop, the now lidless cookie jar cradled in its left arm. The figure had a faraway look in its eyes and a contented smile on its face as it munched on a cookie. It certainly looked like it was enjoying itself thoroughly. Lin rubbed his eyes to make sure that he wasn't seeing things.

The figure stayed in its position for another hour, the only movements it made was to put its hand into the jar to retrieve another cookie. It only realized that all the cookies were gone when its hand encountered only air in the jar. The figure looked down at the jar for a moment as if wondering where the cookies had gone to before straightening up. Turning around again, it then put the jar back in its place before closing the cabinet door and leaving the kitchenette. Lin was prepared to swear that he saw a look akin to guilt on the figure's face when it left.

The Chinese man blinked his eyes. He was very surprised. It really is a monster, a cookie monster. How else can you describe something that has the ability to devour as many as 40 chocolate chip cookies in less than an hour with no break in between each piece? Mai would be in for a big surprise.

oOo

To say that Mai was shocked was a vast understatement. Her big brown eyes grew even wider when she saw the recording Lin had made. Initially she wanted to teach the cookie monster a lesson but after noticing the guilty expression on its face, she changed her mind. From the look it was sporting, she could tell that it felt bad about eating all her cookies. Her heart softened immediately.

"What are you going to do, Taniyama-san?" asked Lin. Truth be told, he was rather curious as to what the girl would do now that she knew the identity of her cookie monster.

"Bake some more," she replied, smiling at him.

Lin stared at her. That was … unexpected. He only hoped that she did not decide to add some foreign ingredients into her newest batch of cookies as means of revenge. The older man made a mental note not to eat any of her cookies from tomorrow onwards.

oOo

Naru opened the door to his office and immediately, he knew that someone has been into it. That someone had also left a box on his desk. He eyed the box warily as he sat down in his chair. A piece of white note paper was stuck on the box and his deep blue eyes skimmed over the words.

**To: Cookie Monster**

**Enjoy!**

**P/S: I did not poison them, don't worry. Say please if you want tea.**

**From: Mai**

For the first time in a long while, he smiled a genuine smile as he opened the box. The lovely aroma of freshly baked raisin cookies greeted him. Through his closed door, his voice could be heard saying, "Mai, tea please."

Outside, a certain brown haired girl smiled to herself as she disappeared into SPR's little kitchen to make some tea.

oOo

Returning after an errand for Naru, Mai plopped down on the chair feeling drained of all energy. It was just like him to send her out of the cool air-conditioned office into such hot weather. Reaching her hand out for any piece of paper to fan herself with, her eyes fell on the little piece of folded note paper on her desk. Curiosity got the better of her as she picked it up and unfolded it.

**To: Mai**

**Thank you for the cookies. They were very good.**

**P/S: Dinner together tonight?**

**From: Cookie Monster**

A huge grin broke out on her face as her cheeks colored slightly.

Walking over to Naru's office, she knocked softly before entering. To his credit, her boss looked up from his work although with an expression as blank as the wall behind him.

"Do you mean it?" she asked tentatively, the note held tight in her hand.

"Of course," he said.

Standing up from his seat, he walked over to her and took her hand in his.

"Shall we go?"

Confusion was evident in her eyes as well as her voice.

"Go where, Naru?"

"To dinner of course. I do eat food besides cookies, you know," he replied smugly.

Giving her hand a gentle tug, he led her out of his office. He didn't need to turn around to know that his assistant was blushing furiously. It was one of the many things that he found endearing about her.

Just before they left, he called out over his shoulder, "Lin, we're going out to dinner. You are free to go if you want, we won't be coming back tonight."

Lin looked at his watch. It was only 4pm, much too early for dinner and definitely too early for Naru to leave for the day. Leaning back into his chair, he could only smile and shake his head.

oOo

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A/N: Plot was conceived when I was editing one of my other fics. Thanks for reading and hope you guys like it. Drop me a review to let me know please. Oh and cookies anyone?


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